The Heretic’s Mark is the fourth instalment of The Jackdaw Mysteries by SW Perry and it’s another thrilling, page-turner to add to my bookshelves.
Title: The Heretic’s Mark
Author: SW Perry
Series: The Jackdaw Mysteries #4
First Published: July 1 2021
Publisher: Corvus
Categories: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Acquired: from the publisher
*** Thank you to the publisher, Corvus Books, for providing me with an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. ***
The Elizabethan world is in flux. Radical new ideas are challenging the old. But the quest for knowledge can lead down dangerous paths.
London, 1594. The Queen’s physician has been executed for treason, and conspiracy theories flood the streets. When Nicholas Shelby, unorthodox physician and unwilling associate of spymaster Robert Cecil, is accused of being part of the plot, he and his new wife Bianca must flee for their lives. With agents of the Crown on their tail, they make for Padua, following the ancient pilgrimage route, the Via Francigena.
But the pursuing English aren’t the only threat Nicholas and Bianca face. Hella, a strange and fervently religious young woman, has joined them on their journey. When the trio finally reach relative safety, they become embroiled in a radical and dangerous scheme to shatter the old world’s limits of knowledge. But Hella’s dire predictions of an impending apocalypse, and the brutal murder of a friend of Bianca’s forces them to wonder: who is this troublingly pious woman? And what does she want?
A return to a very detailed past
One of the things I enjoy most about Perry’s books is the attention to detail. I read A LOT of historical fiction set in the Tudor/Elizabethan era and I still find myself jotting down notes and things to look into while reading The Jackdaw Mysteries. There’s something about Perry’s writing that transports you back into that time in history and makes it come alive, both the good and the bad. Everything is so detailed and lively – the setting and environment in this series is so well done that it’s almost a character in itself.
While this is the fourth book in the series, it can be read as a standalone, but having the background from the previous three books does help, especially since some of the main characters are much more fleshed out over four books, including Nicholas, his wife Bianca and their loyal friends Ned and Rose.
This story picks up close to where the previous book, The Saracen’s Mark finished (you can read my review of that book here). The story starts as Nicholas is arrested for plotting to poison Queen Elizabeth I and the action doesn’t stop once it gets going. It turns out that Nicholas has been accused by a former colleague who is taking some revenge on Nicholas for a personal slight.
Instead of waiting for the slow wheels of justice to save him, Nicholas flees England and he and Bianca head to mainland Europe, hoping that the friends and allies they have left behind in England can prove Nicholas’ innocence. Meanwhile, Ned and Rose work to rebuild The Jackdaw (Bianca’s tavern) which had burned down in the previous book.
A cast of memorable characters
It didn’t take me long to become a fan of the unorthodox doctor Nicholas Shelby or his equally capable apothecary wife, Bianca. And it’s not just the two main characters that are thoroughly developed and well-described. The couple’s loyal friends, Ned and Rose are also strong characters on their own and have quite a few storylines to themselves. They are still a lovable duo and I like catching up on their adventures almost as much as Nicholas and Bianca’s journey.
There are also lots of new faces in this story as Nicholas and Bianca travel to Padua. Of course, the most memorable (if not particularly welcome) is Hella Maas. While I’m not a fan of the passionate and pious Hella, she drives the plot line along. The reader is constantly left wondering about Hella’s motivations and true purpose. She seems a bit obsessed with the couple and it was hard to tell what she was really trying to do to the couple.
As with the previous books, I found the pacing ebbed and flowed. There were some slower moments, but they built up the suspense for when the action sped up to a breakneck speed. This is a page-turner – it’s historical fiction, but also part-mystery, part-adventure and part-action. It’s a really enjoyable historical fiction story, with strong characters and an incredible environment. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!
Read The Heretic’s Mark for yourself
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